Frequently charged with playing the part of the Kurdish guerrilla PKK the HADEP (People's Democracy Party) is the heir to two previously banned pro-Kurdish parties (HEP and DEP). Both parties were banned under charges of "supporting PKK separatism".
HADEP has gained the backing of more than 50 percent of the popular vote in the Southeast provinces in the March 1999 general elections however, has fallen short of the national barrier of 10 percent in the overall count in 81 provinces.
Turkish establishment is particularly concerned of the situation as the public opinion polls show that none of the mainstream Turkish parties will be able to pass the national barrier in the forthcoming elections, while HADEP's support is on further increase.
Bianet reporter Nazim Alpman interviews HADEP deputy chair Osman Ozcelik on the currnet situation and the party's prospects after the de facto laying down of arms by the PKK.
HADEP: We are from within the system, don't worry!
HADEP deputy cahir Osman Özçelik says: "Nobody should be uncomfortable of the rise of our party. The efforts to push HADEP and millions of its voters outside the system will do nothing but harm Turkey."
- What do you think about the reports concerning your party?
This is nothing new, since the founding of our party we have been treated by the system's parties differently. But, this discrimination has not brought any happiness to Turkey. The foundations of our country is full of motley voices and colours. The official conception denies this. It wants under the name of a unitarian state that there should be "one nation, one religion, one language". This approach contradicts with the life itself.
- What are your demands?
HADEP defends change and transformation. We are a chance for the country. In realizing the change I have mentioned we want to lead Turkey among the modern states. The existing system parties can't succeed in doing this. Then, the problems with the EU are obvious...
- Those who look at HADEP with suspicion believe that you are a separatist party. When the circumstances are ripe do you have schemes of secession from Turkey?
HADEP is not a separatist party. It defends Turkey's unity. That's also one of the reasons why support from voters and members is growing?
- But they (the other parties) don't believe you?
This is completely their problem. We make ourselves clear to the voters and they believe us. HADEP's growing following is not limited to the South East alone, the situation in the Western provinces is similar. In the West part of the country too people come to HADEP. This is a surprising situation for us. We have been gaining new members who desert from their former parties and join us in great numbers.
- From which parties do they come to you?
From the Islamist Virtue Party (Fazilet), from the liberal-conservative Motherland Party (ANAP), the right wing True Path Party (DYP), and even from among the ultra-nationalist Nationalist Action Party (MHP) grassroots.
The Virtue Party (Fazilet), generally believed to be the strongest Islamist party of Turkey, was in 2001 banned under charges of threatening the secular order. Fazilet ended up with splitting into two new rival parties, the AKP (Justice and Development Party) and the SP (Felicity Party.
- Why do the MHP members come to you?
They say they had a false image of HADEP. They also say that they saw that the MHP told a lot of lies in the coalition government.
- I would like to return again to the beginning. What's the impact of official skepticism on your conduct..
This attitude makes us uncomfortable. We are acting under the guarantees of the constitution, we perform our activities according to the Party Law. We also approach the voters according to the Election Law. For many years we hadn't been allowed in our provinces. Only the establishment parties were allowed to address to the voters. The result is apparent. Even they have to admit that if there was an election today, no party but HADEP would be able to pass the 10% election barrier. Instead of reconsidering their mistakes they are urging to push HADEP and millions of its voters outside the system. This directly harms the country.
When Osman Özçelik was investigating the correlation between the election results and the tendency of the voters, he found out that in the 1999 elections 3% of the total votes were declared null and void. The ratio of HADEP's cancelled votes was 1 percent . This ratio reaches up to 6,1% in 11 cities where HADEP won the majority.
"The total number of annulled votes passes over 1 million, of which at least 500.000 belong to our party," he says.
-Could that be related to the illiteracy of your voters in general?
Possibly, but in the previous 1995 elections the average of annulled votes was 4,1%. Further, in the rural provinces where we won more than 70%, our annulled votes were as little as 1%.
- Was there pressure on the voters?
From the reports coming from the countryside we found out that in the villages the gendarme station commanders forced the people to cast their votes openly. Blocking the HADEP logo on the tickets with a finger they said: "Now, you may vote for any party you like."
-Are you still worried of similar pressure?
Up until today we were not concerned for that. But the recent reports have indeed irritated us. But we will stand up for our votes. We won't get anywhere with illegitimate elections. Turkey doesn't deserve such undemocratic disgraces any longer.
